Bengals rookie defensive end Cashius Howell has spent most of training camp playing with the second team behind Myles Murphy and Boye Mafe. But he earned a promotion Thursday, getting more first-team snaps.
According to Jay Morrison of SI.com, Howell twice beat starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
“I’ve had a few [first-team] reps here and there, but today was the first real day that I’ve gotten good, solid, quality reps,” Howell said. “It gives me a little bit of confidence. But regardless of who lines up in front of me, I want to make sure I’m coming out and bringing the same competitive performance, the same energy.”
Howell went 41st overall despite being the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 with 11.5 sacks. His 30 1/4-inch arm measurement — the shortest of any edge rusher since at least 1999 — was the reason.
The Texas A&M product has had no problem getting separation in camp.
“It’s very hard to do what he’s doing so early,” Mafe said. “It’s been exciting to see. I’ve been saying he’s going to be a great player. I’ve always known that. He has it in him. It’s just a matter of getting comfortable.
“Once he does, he’s gonna be a dog in this league, and I can’t wait to see it.”